Sometimes – especially if not trained right as a puppy – older dogs will have problems with house training and they may need to be taught or re-taught not to pee or poop inside. You can teach an old dog new tricks and to help you, here are the tips for potty training older dogs.

The Process Of Training

1. Instead of teaching your dog not to urinate inside, teach them to urinate outside. Many experts agree that it is far easier to teach a dog – especially an older one – to do something rather than teach them to not do something.

2. Provide an area of your lawn for the dog to go outside. Make sure you are very consistent about where they pee or poop because that will make it easier for the dog to learn.

3. Always use the same words for going outside because an older dog can get confused by various commands. Say “Need to Pee?” and keep using that phrase so the dog learns what it means.

4. If the dog does have an accident inside, make sure you remove all traces of it with vinegar and baking soda. Dogs can smell extremely well and if an older dog smells urine inside, they may think they are supposed to use that spot. This is very important for potty training older dogs.

5. Dogs will not pee or poop where they sleep so keep their sleeping area tight so there is no room for accidents around their bed.

6. Instead of feeding your dog before they go to sleep, lessen the amount you feed them to eliminate accidents at night.

7. Always ensure that it is easy for your dog to go outside by providing them with a doggie door if you have a fenced yard. Once they are properly trained, you won’t have to do anything as the dog goes outside. This makes potty training older dogs very easy.

It is said that house breaking a small dog such as Dachshunds may take longer than other small breeds of dogs. Other than size, there is no real reason why this seems to be true in general, but it does seem to be a fact. These are some ways to train your Dachshund so that your dog does not use you house as a personal bathroom.

Dogs as a rule will not piddle or poop in the place where they sleep directly. Therefore a kennel or pen can be used to housebreak your dog. The dog should be let out every few hours to the outside to do the bathroom duties outside. If you have a doggie door, the kennel or pen can be placed where there is access to the dog door and praised each time the dog performs the bathroom duty outdoors.

There must be consistency in the training otherwise the dog will become
confused and the training will take longer. If there is an accident, the dog must be placed back into the pen until such time they go outdoors through a dog door or you can take them outdoors to do their bathroom duty.

Make sure you reward you dog each time they wait to go outside or go outside to themselves eliminate. This insures they will remember and be encouraged to continue until the outdoor process become the norm.

If you choose to paper train your dog, make sure that you use pads made for this purpose. Newspapers actually make noise and can scare your dog each time they walk on it making training just a little more difficult and lengthy. Moving the pad closer to the door after each use helps to direct the dog to the outdoors.

Training a small dog can be frustrating but is much easier with the help of someone who has gone through the process before. Be assured that housebreaking can be done very quickly using proper methods and being consistent.